Slow Food: the eight new Presidia to defend Italian products

A minimum (perhaps even more) consolation in a complicated moment. If the restaurant continues in the trickle of openings-closings, the supply chains of the products resist even if damaged by the situation. But they hold, as he says Carlin Petrini, soul of Slow Food, which constantly monitors the Presidia, that is the Communities that work every day to save native breeds, varieties of vegetables and fruit, breads, cheeses, cured meats, traditional sweets from extinction. They are a niche in the face of large-scale production, but they express the excellence of each region and are very followed by enthusiasts, cooks and professionals in general (browse them in the gallery above).

“The Headmasters don’t give up, despite the pandemic. They are working, as they make up the best agro-food chain in the country. And they are lucky that they are concretely and morally protected by the territories, they have a fundamental economic value for the functioning of a territory»Underlines Petrini that already in the mid-1990s – when Slow Food was born four years ago – he understood the urgent need to save food biodiversity, mapping products that risk extinction, and creating a virtual catalog, the Ark of Taste

In 2000, with the Presidia project, we moved from the work of pure cataloging to concrete action on the territories, starting from the investigation of autotoclean products and reaching the involvement of producers to pick up the thread. They are committed to handing down production techniques and crafts but they also take care of the environment.

The result was incredible: at the end of 2020, 614 Presidia were operating in 79 countries because Petrini’s idea was successfully exported. Of course, more than half are in our country: to be exact 342, the alphabetical list begins with theOrange flower water amaro a Vallebona (Imperia) and closes with the Goat violin from Valchiavenna, one of the rarest and best Italian cured meats. The first in the history of Slow Food was the Cappone di Morozzo, in the province of Cuneo: even today, its meat is considered the top for gourmets and chefs, confirming that every product defended by a Presidium – beyond the social value it expresses – is based on its absolute quality. Be it a vegetable, a dairy product, a fish or a fruit.

And so it was also for the new Deans, eight in total that touch five regions. Products of the highest level, expression of small or medium-sized territories that have understood the usefulness of resuming the cultivation and production of products that were being lost, to the point of risking their disappearance. It’s nice to know that they are back on the market, albeit a niche one. But not necessarily, a good and well done thing must be for everyone or it must be found easily, indeed. A final tip: write down the production areas. They are often suggestive and can become the destination of an out-of-town destination or a tour in search of excellence. Also because – at present – everything seems to suggest that the next holidays, for the majority of Italians, will still be at home wandering by car. It is not a drama, especially for those who are truly passionate about food and wine.